Compare towns
Starks vs Mapleton vs Appleton vs New Vineyard
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Starks has the most affordable homes ($149k median).
Mapleton has the highest household income ($92k).
Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
New Vineyard has the most people working from home (16.7%).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Starks | Mapleton | Appleton | New Vineyard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 556Lowest |
1,884Highest |
1,360 |
607 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -7.3%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
-3.2% ME: +2.6% |
+7.2%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-4.8% ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 46.7±9.4 4% above ME |
41.8±6Lowest 7% below ME |
49.2±7.4Highest 10% above ME |
47.5±9.5 6% above ME |
| Appleton and New Vineyard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.4%±4.4 ME: 18.1% |
22.2%±5.1 ME: 18.1% |
15.3%±2.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
24.5%±6.3Highest ME: 18.1% |
| New Vineyard and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 20.3%±2.2 ME: 22.4% |
18.3%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
26.1%±9.3 ME: 22.4% |
27%±3.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
| New Vineyard and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 21% ME: 36.2% |
34.3%Highest ME: 36.2% |
34.1% ME: 36.2% |
20%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.9%±2.3Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
3.7%±2.4 ME: 5.8% |
1.8%±1.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Mapleton and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $63,500±$8k 15% below ME |
$91,731±$25kHighest 23% above ME |
$53,618±$19kLowest 28% below ME |
$61,806±$19k 17% below ME |
| Mapleton and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $148,500±$27kLowest 50% below ME |
$191,800±$23k 35% below ME |
$235,600±$33kHighest 21% below ME |
$190,000±$76k 36% below ME |
| Appleton and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,063±$301 7% below ME |
$610±$277Lowest 46% below ME |
$1,104±$82Highest 3% below ME |
$925±$490 19% below ME |
| Appleton and Starks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,348Lowest 56% below ME |
$1,789 41% below ME |
$3,588Highest 18% above ME |
$2,136 30% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.5%±90.3 ME: 48.4% |
16.7%±10.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
85.4%±100Highest ME: 48.4% |
66.7%±5.3 ME: 48.4% |
| Appleton and New Vineyard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 19.2% ME: 10.7% |
8.9%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
9.7% ME: 10.7% |
22.6%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90% ME: 74.3% |
79.9%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
82.6% ME: 74.3% |
90.7%Highest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1977Lowest same as ME |
1988Highest 11 yrs newer than ME |
1987 10 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 33 min 33% above ME |
28 minLowest 13% above ME |
30 min 23% above ME |
34 minHighest 39% above ME |
| Work from home | 3.3%±2.4Lowest ME: 15.9% |
10.8%±3.8 ME: 15.9% |
11.1%±3.5 ME: 15.9% |
16.7%±8.6Highest ME: 15.9% |
| New Vineyard and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | — | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Appleton Public Schools | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
ME average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.